KIE: This report on employee drug and alcohol screening, adopted by the American Medical Association's House of Delegates at the 1987 annual meeting, reflects the views of the scientific literature as of February 1987 and is not intended to serve as a standard of medical care. It addresses constitutional, statutory, and common law issues involving privacy, discrimination, and public safety in employer-employee relations and in peer programs for impaired physicians. The Council recommends that the AMA reaffirm its commitment to education on the scientific issues of drug testing; monitor legal issues, especially those involving employment discrimination; and support drug and alcohol screening limited to (1) employees whose jobs affect the health and safety of others, (2) employees who are reasonably suspected of impaired job performance related to substance abuse, and (3) employees in comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation programs.